Barisal ( or ; Bengali: বরিশাল, pronounced [boɾiʃal]), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal District and Barisal Division. It is one of the oldest municipalities and river ports of the country. Barisal municipality was established in the year 1876 during the British rule in India and upgraded to City Corporation on 25 July 2002. Barisal is Bangladesh's third largest information technology and financial hub. The city consists of 30 wards and 50 mahallas with a population of 328,278 according to the 2011 national census and with the voter of about 2.48 lakhs according to the 2018 voter list of city election. The area of the city is 58 km2.
The city is called the Venice of the East or the Venice of Bengal.